Abstract
Introduction
According to Japan's Vital Statistics, 1 the annual suicide rate among males nationwide was higher than that among females for over 100 years from 1899 to 2020 (the period 1944–1946 was omitted due to incomplete data). Other countries with high suicide rates also have a higher suicide rate among males compared to females.2,3 The main reason why suicide rates in Japan have remained high for more than 10 years since 1998 was the high suicide rate among middle-aged males. 4 Several studies have examined the results of investigations into the context for those suicides,5–7 typically focusing on the sex and age groups with high suicide rates. That said, examinations of suicide rates from various perspectives are also important in efforts to develop effective suicide prevention measures.
Methods
Using the reports of suicide rates in various countries compiled by “Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare based on World Health Organization (WHO) Data” as of September 2018, April 2021, and February 2022,2,3,8 we understood the top countries in the world in terms of suicide by sex, and we focused on the conditions in Japan. The results of our analyses identified aspects that should be further emphasized in suicide prevention measures in Japan.
Results
(a) As of September 2018, the suicide rate among males in Japan was the 15th highest (26.6/100,000 population in 2015), while the suicide rate among females in Japan was the 4th highest (10.8/100,000 population in 2015). (b) Based on the data as of April 2021, the suicide rate among males in Japan was the 15th highest (22.9/100,000 population in 2018), while the suicide rate among females in Japan was the 2nd highest (9.7/100,000 population in 2018). (c) Per the data as of February 2022, the suicide rate among males in Japan was the 12th highest (22.7/100,000 population in 2019), and that among females in Japan was again the 2nd highest (9.1/100,000 population in 2019).
Discussion
Japan ranked higher in terms of the suicide rate among females compared to that among males prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant increase in the number of suicides among females in Japan, 9 and this increase has been analyzed in terms of occupation, employment status, living alone versus cohabiting, and cause.9,10 However, these were short-term studies, and truly conclusions have not been reached. An urgent task is to investigate these issues across medium and long terms as well as the short term, and personnel in fields and organizations related to suicide prevention need to collaborate to study and implement effective suicide prevention measures for females based on the findings of such investigations. One limitation of this data is that the years for which suicide rates are available vary slightly among countries, but the WHO data remain a valuable resource for studies of suicide from a global perspective.
Footnotes
Declaration of conflicting interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, (grant number 21K02383, 22K02494).
